


The Elephant in the Room

by madsydva



Series: Sherlockian Things Prompt Challenge [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Elephants, John's Scar, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, The elephant in the room, elephant poo, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 04:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12357330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madsydva/pseuds/madsydva
Summary: John and Sherlock deal with a real elephant and awkwardness ensues.





	The Elephant in the Room

**Author's Note:**

> This is a writing prompt for week 2 in the Sherlockian Things Facebook Group. The prompt was "the elephant in the room". So not only did I use a real elephant, I also went with the metaphorical meaning of the phrase too! This took me all week and I was late even! I hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> I do not own these characters! They belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Gatiss, Stephen Moffatt, Hartswood Films and the BBC!

It had been a week. Seven days. Seven whole days that Sherlock and John had been avoiding one another. And that was nearly impossible to do seeing as how they lived in the same flat.

John would wait in his room on mornings that Sherlock decided to shower and sneak into the bathroom while Sherlock was dressing so they didn't have to pass each other in the tight hallway. Sherlock spent most of his time with an experiment in the kitchen when John was working in the sitting room. Meal times were a struggle. John already had enough trouble getting Sherlock to eat when they were speaking let alone when they weren't. But Sherlock seemed to be sympathetic to the situation by either, for once in his life, making his own toast in the morning or eating most of whatever John placed in front of him while he was working. A mumbled "Thanks" here and there.

The awkward avoidance between the two of them began the week before during a particularly exciting case. Mallory Wakefield was a teenage employee at the London Zoo. She worked part time on the weekends in the African Savanna snack bar. She was still in her uniform when John showed her in.

"Please have a seat." John said pulling out the client chair.

"Thank you. I'd like to say, Dr Watson, I've been following your blog since I was 12."

"Oh, thank you." John said taking his seat. He shot Sherlock a 'be nice' look, but Sherlock was leaned back in his chair absentmindedly stroking the strings of his violin.

"I'm actually somewhat of a writer myself. I've written some cases actually." Mallory said looking at her hands.

Sherlock perked up. "Cases?"

"Um... yeah. There's loads of us online. We all write stories about you. It's called fanfiction." Mallory explains turning a little pink.

"Interesting." Sherlock said eyeing his laptop that was sitting next to him on the side table.

"Well, how can we help you?" John asked, changing the subject before Sherlock got any bright ideas.

"Oh right. I work at the zoo. And all of the Animals, Mr Holmes, they're being murdered." Mallory says looking at Sherlock.

"Murdered?" John repeats.

"Don't mind him, he has trouble keeping up." Sherlock says leaning forward. "How have the animals been murdered?

"He really is very rude to you, isn't he, Dr. Watson?" Mallory states. John looks at the floor and opens his mouth to say something.

"The animals, Ms. Wakefield, how have they been murdered?" Sherlock asks again, impatiently.

"Right. It started when one of the lionesses disappeared. I went to work one day, and she was just gone. None of the keepers seemed concerned. Next it was one of the zebras. Just gone."

"Those are disappearances not murders." Sherlock points out, standing up. 

"But then last week one of the giraffes, the small female, Jane, was found dead in her enclosure. I asked the keeper and she seemed sad but I think she was afraid to talk about it. Then today I found out that one of the big male elephants is deathly ill. One of the other girls that works at the stand with me, her brother cleans out the enclosures. He said that Patrick is so sick he can't stand and he has severe diarrhea." Mallory explains.

"Interesting." Sherlock says.

John gives him a skeptical look. "Really?

"Really, John. I think a trip to the zoo is in order."

\------------------------------------------  
Upon arriving at the zoo, with Mallory in tow, John was able to get them access to the Giraffe house with a little name dropping and some shameless flirting. Poor Jane the Giraffe's body had been removed already, but Sherlock took his time looking around her enclosure. John approached Sherlock as he was crouched next to a feeding trough. Sherlock was using a gloved hand to collect some pink salt-like crystals on the ground.

"What's that?" John asked

"Hmm, probably nothing." Sherlock answered. 

"Any ideas?" John asked

"Three.... we need to see the elephant."

"Mallory, do you think your friends brother can get us in to see the ill elephant?" John said walking towards her.

"Sure. Jeremy's a fan too. He's not left Patrick's side since he got sick." Mallory said leading them out of the giraffe house.

"Who the bloody hell names an elephant Patrick?" John mumbles. 

\------------------------------------------

The minute they entered Patrick's enclosure John saw the excitement wash over Sherlock's face and John knew that he "knew". They moved closer to Patrick who had been given a sedative to help him rest. Patrick was laid out on the floor in the middle of his enclosure snoring softly. Jeremy had been working to clean up, shoveling and squeegeeing Patrick's mess into a pile by the big back door. The door was open letting in a soft breeze.

Sherlock began his examination, moved closer to Patrick and smelled his breath. Then gave a curt nod before stepping back. 

"Well, John, what do you make of our pachyderm friend here." 

"You've got it figured out already, then? Besides I'm a HUMAN doctor not a veterinarian, Sherlock." 

"Please, John, have a look. You know I value your opinion." Sherlock said gesturing to a sleeping Patrick. Mallory and Justin, where back by the gate. They were whispering but Sherlock could still make out some of what they were saying. "...so much trouble for even letting you in here." "But this is Sherlock HOLMES and Dr WATSON." " I know, but still."

John made his observations by smelling Patrick's breath, looking at his toenails and having a look at the veins on his ears. John steps back and assumes his parade rest stance.

"Well?" Sherlock asked.

"Low level arsenic poisoning. Ingested."

"Ooo very good." Sherlock purrs. John smiles to himself. "And the others?"

"Poisoned too? But when the murderer moved on to Patrick he got the dosage wrong. Arsenic in low levels can cause stomach cramping and diarrhea." 

Sherlock nodded. "Call Lestrade."

"Lestrade? You've solved it then?" Mallory says walking over to them.

"Yes. I believe our friends were poisoned. Arsenic." Sherlock says holding up the baggie with the pink crystals he collected from the giraffe house. "The murderer is selling the animals and their skins for their value. He poisoned the smaller animals and was able to get them out before anyone noticed they were dead. He got ambitious and moved on to the giraffe but then didn't have a way to move her quick enough." John appeared at his side and Sherlock continued. Jeremy is starting to look increasingly agitated behind Mallory. "Then when he moved onto Patrick his arsenic supply was running low so he just gave him the last of what he had, making him violently ill instead of killing him." 

"Poachers AT the zoo." Mallory said astonished. "I knew it! Who's the murderer?"

"The murderer is a person who would have access to all of the animals. Someone that didn't make a real career out of caring for animals. In other words, the person that cleans out the cages. This person is getting paid for his work. The keepers are staying quiet because they are being paid and threatened too."

Jeremy steps out from behind Mallory. "I knew I would get your attention. But I was approached by a buyer he was willing to pay me a lot for what he wanted. Wanted some animals to show off in his big fancy lodge in the Scottish highlands. I got to meet you and made a buck. Seems like a fair deal to me."

"You didn't attract our attention. Mallory brought us here. You didn't think you would get caught?" John countered.

"Oh I won't get caught. I just wanted to see if your boy here would figure it out!" Jeremy threw the squeegee in his hand over Mallory's head and at Sherlock as they heard Lestrade's sirens pull up outside. Sherlock ducked and slipped on some hay, landing on his bottom. Jeremy took off towards the bay door and John started after him. They rounded the corner by the giant pile of poo and John lost his footing in a slick spot, which sent him careening into the pile. Jeremy made for the door but slammed straight into Lestrade who quickly apprehended him.

Sherlock ran over to John, who was still sitting in the pile of poo. Sherlock reached for John's hand.

"John! Get up! We have to get you showered off!" Sherlock practically shouted as he hoisted John to his feet.

"What?" 

Sherlock dragged John to the backroom where there was a water spigot on the wall that the elephants could stand under. Sherlock turned the water on full blast and shoved John under the water. He stripped off his belstaff and tossed it aside, joining John under the water. Sherlock then proceeded to start stripping John of his clothes.

"Oi! Hey! Sherlock! What are you doing?!" John shouted as Sherlock stripped off his jumper and his vest.

"You have to get rinsed off! The elephant droppings could still have traces of arsenic in it. It could be absorbed through your skin." Sherlock started on John's belt buckle and trousers. They were both absolutely soaked and John was beginning to notice how close Sherlock was and how his wet white shirt was sticking to his chest.

"Shoes!"

"Uh. Huh?" 

"Shoes, John! Take them off!"

John did as he was told and soon his trousers were yanked down, leaving him standing in only his pants and socks. Sherlock stood slowly, seeming to come out of his panic to get John out of his clothes.

"Erm, Sherlock... I don't think it works that way." 

"Arsenic 'is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Poisoning can occur by ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption. Elemental arsenic is the least toxic. Trivalent arsenic is well absorbed through the skin and is 60 times more toxic than pentavalent arsenic, which is well absorbed by the gut'." Sherlock quoted in a whisper, eyes roaming across John's chest.

"Right. But how do we know Jeremy used Trivalent arsenic?" John said beginning to get a little cold and feeling quite exposed 

"We don't. But I couldn't take that chance. Didn't want you to get sick...." Sherlock trailed off, staring at the star shaped scar on John's left shoulder. "I've never seen your scar before..." Sherlock whispers reaching out to touch it. "Does it hurt? Sometimes?"

John watches as Sherlock traces the outline of his scar. "Only when it rains." he answers feeling a little breathless.

"I wish I could have saved you from this too." Sherlock moves his hand up and over John's shoulder and squeezes. Their eyes meet and John can feel the heat from Sherlock's hand all the way to his fingers.

"Oi! Everything alright here! I'm going to need..." Lestrade stopped short as he rounded the corner. Sherlock and John jump apart. Sherlock steps out of the water and turns off the spigot. He retrieves his belstaff off of the floor and hands it to John to put on. 

"We'll need to go home and change. Then John and I will be down to give statements." Sherlock handed him the baggie of crystallized arsenic.

"Right." Lestrade knew better than to object or even offer an ambulance or anything. He would just get a 'look' from Sherlock, anyway. He went with: "Alright, John?"

"Yeah, cheers, Greg." John said wrapping himself tighter in Sherlock's coat. Lestrade disappears outside. 

"What about you?" John asks Sherlock. "You're soaked, too."

"Don't be ridiculous, John. I'll be dry before we get home."

The moment was, apparently, over.

\------------------------------------------  
That's what lead to John and Sherlock avoiding one another for the last week. It was Sunday and they usually spent the day watching boring telly or just lazing about the flat. Mrs. Hudson had brought up some tea and breakfast biscuits she had made. 

"Now boys," she had said, "I know you must have had some sort of domestic but it's entirely too quite up here. You'll have to talk it out sometime." She said patting Sherlock's shoulder. He had currently taken up residence on the sofa, reading or pretending to read an academic journal on the migration habits of Killer Bees.

John offered a thin smile from his laptop. "Thanks." She gave a nod and headed back downstairs.

"She's right you know." John said. "We've got to talk about it sometime."

"What's there to talk about, John?" Sherlock said, exasperatedly putting down his journal.

"I really don't know, actually. But we've been avoiding each other for a reason."

"Like?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe you going all soft after stripping me starkers." John said sarcastically.

"You weren't "starkers", John. You still had on your pants." Sherlock went back to his reading.

John sighed, closing his laptop and went over to sit on the coffee table next to Sherlock.

"What happened last week, Sherlock?" John said softly.

"I was examining your scar. And we were interrupted by Lestrade." Sherlock said without looking at him.

"Interrupted? Did you want finish your examination?" Sherlock looked at him then. John quickly stripped off his t-shirt and straightened up. Sherlock sat up looking at him.

"Can I touch you?" Sherlock asked. John nodded and Sherlock reached his hand up to the bottom of the scar that stopped halfway down his pectoral muscle. He traced it upwards to John's armpit and over his shoulder.

"What did you mean you wish you could have saved me from this too?" John asked.

"I don't like to see you in distress, John. I will always save you if I can." He answered still tracing the scar, over John's collarbone now.

"What would have happened if Lestrade hadn't come in?" John said dipping down to find Sherlock's eyes. He stopped and placed his hand on John's chest.

"I think I would have kissed you." 

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I.." 

John's lips were on his before Sherlock could finish.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel compelled to cite my source of research, as I did quote directly from the website for Sherlock's dialogue on arsenic. I got it here: https://patient.info/doctor/arsenic-poisoning
> 
> I also would like to add the disclaimer that I did find out that the London Zoo does not, in fact, have elephants at all. They also do not have an "African Savanna snack bar'. 
> 
> I also do not know a lot about veterinary medicine or the use of arsenic or if it actually is present in the feces of a person or animal being poisoned. 
> 
> Ok thanks byeee!


End file.
